Exemptions from tuition

Applicants who have been admitted and charged tuition may apply for an exemption. It is only possible to apply for one ground of exemption.

The deadline to apply for exemption from tuition is:

• Students needing to apply for a residence permit: 15th of June.
• Other students: 25th of August
  • The official start of the semester is the 17th of August 2026. If you apply after the 7th of August (shortly before the start of the semester), or after the semester has started, you will not gain access to your INN student account and the IT systems during the processing time.

Extended deadline

Students who have received a letter between the 10-11th of September regarding the tuition fee have an extended deadline to submit an application.

The general processing time is 1-2 weeks, but it may be shorter or take up to 4 weeks in some instances. If documentation is missing or incorrect on the application form, the processing time may be extended. 

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are a citizen of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland. If you have uploaded a copy of your passport or ID card in the application, you are automatically exempt and do not need to apply for an exemption.

If you did not upload your passport, you must provide the following documents in the application:

• Copy of your passport or national ID card from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland

If you have a dual citizenship and have applied for studies at INN with your non-EU/EEA or Swiss passport, please submit the following document:

• Copy of your passport or national ID card from an EU/EEA country or Switzerland

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a permanent residence permit in Norway or another Nordic country and keep it throughout your studies in Norway.

You must provide the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence card (both sides)
• Copy of your decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI), Norwegian Police, or the corresponding official body in the other Nordic countries.
  • This decision letter must state the type of residence granted and your personal details.

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have been granted residence (asylum) in Norway due to protection, strong humanitarian considerations or a special connection to Norway. Being in the application process for asylum does not qualify for an exemption.

You must provide the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence card (both sides)
• Copy of your decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or the Norwegian Police
  • This decision letter must state the type of residence granted and your personal details.

What happens if you lose this residence permit and must apply for a study permit?

Students who receive an exemption on this ground will be exempt from paying the tuition fee if they lose their residence status and must apply for a study permit. However, the tuition fee exemption is only valid for the actual duration of the degree. If students need additional time on their degree, they must pay a tuition fee for the additional time.

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a residence permit as a family member of an EU/EEA citizen. The EU/EEA citizen must have grounds for residence in Norway other than studying.

You must provide the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence card (both sides)
• Copy of your decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or the Norwegian Police
  • This decision letter must state the type of residence granted and your personal details.
  • If you have applied for a renewed residence permit, you are required to upload a "Confirmation of Legal Stay" from UDI. This document must confirm that you have the right to live in Norway on the same basis as your previous residence permit. 
    • There are two version of this document, make sure to request the correct one which contains this information.
• Copy of the registration certificate (from the Police) for your family member
• Documentation of your family member's grounds for residence in Norway (other than studying)

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a residence permit due to family immigration. The person with whom you have been reunited must either be a Norwegian citizen or a foreign national with grounds for residence in Norway other than studying.

Furthermore, you do not have to pay tuition fees if you have gained a continued residence permit on an independent basis due to the Norwegian immigration act § 53.

You must provide the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence card (both sides)
• Copy of your decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or the Norwegian Police
  • This decision letter must state the type of residence granted and your personal details.
  • If you have applied for a renewed residence permit, you are required to upload a "Confirmation of Legal Stay" from UDI. This document must confirm that you have the right to live in Norway on the same basis as your previous residence permit. 
    • There are two version of this document, make sure to request the correct one which contains this information.
• Copy of the residence card or the registration certificate (from the Police) for your family member
• Documentation of your family member's grounds for residence in Norway (other than studying)
  • Not applicable if you have received a continued residence permit on an independent basis.

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are cohabiting with and have children with a Norwegian citizen. Both you and your cohabiting person must live in Norway.

You must provide the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence card (both sides)
• Copy of the residence certificate (bostedsattest) from the Tax Administration for you, your cohabitating person and your child/children
  • This document cannot be older than 6 months
• Copy of your decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or the Norwegian Police
  • This decision letter must state the type of residence granted and your personal details.
• Copy of the passport or national ID card of your cohabiting person

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are married to a Norwegian citizen or are the legal partner of a Norwegian citizen. Both you and your spouse or legal partner must reside at the same address in Norway.

With legal partner we mean a person with whom you are married or have an equivalent official relation.

You must provide the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence card (both sides)
• Copy of your marriage certificate from the Norwegian Tax Administration or an official translation from the foreign authority that officiated the wedding
  • The certificate must be in English, Norwegian, Swedish or Danish.
• Copy of the residence certificate (bostedsattest) from the Tax Administration for you and your spouse.
  • This document cannot be older than 6 months
• Copy of your decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or the Norwegian Police
  • This decision letter must state the type of residence granted and your personal details.
• Copy of the passport or national ID card of your spouse

You do not have to pay tuition fees if, during a qualifying period of at least 24 months, you have had continuous full-time work in Norway and have been resident in and paid tax to Norway.

• You must have had a residence permit as an employee during the earning period.
• You must have been employed on a 100% (full-time) basis continuously throughout the qualifying period. This can be split between different employers.
  • Work as an au pair is not considered full-time employment and will not provide grounds for a tuition fee exemption.
• There must be no gap between your period of employment and the start of studies. Maternity, paternity, and compassionate leaves for up to 1 year may be counted as part of this period.

You must provide the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence card (both sides)
• Copy of your decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or the Norwegian Police
  • This decision letter must state the type of residence granted and your personal details.
  • If you have applied for a renewed work permit, you are required to upload a "Confirmation of Legal Stay" from UDI. This document must confirm that you have the right to live in Norway on the same basis as your previous residence permit. 
    • There are two version of this document, make sure to request the correct one which contains this information.
• Certificate and employment contract from your employer(s) showing that you have had continuous full-time employment in Norway for at least 24 months immediately before commencing the study programme (start and finish dates).
  • The certificate(s) must include the starting date, end date and the percentage of full-time equivalent (in total). The letter(s) must be signed by the employer and written on an official letterhead or contain the employer’s stamp. For all ongoing employment, this letter must be dated shortly prior to applying for the exemption.
  • The contract(s) must include the starting date, end date (if applicable), wage/salary and the percentage of your employment, totalling 100%.
  • If you are/have been self-employed, you must submit documentation (company registration) from the Brønnøysund Register Centre.
• Documentation showing that you have paid tax in Norway for the last 24 months immediately prior to commencing studies. This could include copies of the tax return, payslips or corresponding documentation.
  • Examples of valid documentation are inland revenue certificate, wage slips or a certificate of pay, and tax deducted from the employer.
  • If you are/have been self-employed, you must submit your tax return.
• If you have had maternity, paternity, and compassionate leaves for up to 1 year, you are required to upload documentation. This can be a birth certificate, proof of illness or other relevant documentation.

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have lived in and completed 3 years of full-time education (minimum 180 ECTS) in Norway for the last 36 months.

There cannot be any gaps in your studies, neither during the three years nor between your previous studies in Norway and the start of the studies at INN. However, exceptions can be made for stays of up to 1 year due to illness or childbirth.

During the qualifying period, you cannot have received educational support from Lånekassen (the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund), public educational support from other countries or from any Norwegian public developmental support programmes like Norad, The Norwegian Programme for Development Research and Education (NUFU), The Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED).

You must provide the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence card (both sides)
• Copy of transcripts or diplomas for education completed in Norway.
  • The transcript must contain the actual stamp and signature of the educational institution. We do not accept a digitally signed version.
• Copy of your decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or the Norwegian Police
  • This decision letter must state the type of residence granted and your personal details.
• A signed self-declaration that you have not received student aid from Lånekassen or another country's equivalent public student aid scheme
• If you have had stays of up to 1 year due to maternity, paternity or compassionate leave, you are required to upload documentation. This can be a birth certificate, proof of illness or other relevant documentation.

During a transitional period that lasted until 2020, the United Kingdom was to be treated as if it were still a member of the EU and the EEA.

• If you or your family member* is a citizen of the United Kingdom who, under the terms of the EEA agreement, had the right to reside in Norway before the end of the transition period (31 December 2020), you are not required to pay tuition fees. However, you must have continued to reside in Norway to keep this right.
• If you came to Norway on 1 January 2021 or later, you do not qualify for this exemption and must apply on a different ground for exemption.

You must provide the following documents:

• Copy of your passport
• Copy of your residence card (both sides)
• Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or the Norwegian Police showing that you had a valid residency permit in Norway before 31 December 2020
  • This decision letter must state the type of residence granted and your personal details.
• Documentation that you have been residing in Norway since before 31 December 2020

*Please note that not any family member is exempt. Exemption is regulated by Article 9 in the Agreement on arrangements between Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the United Kingdom following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the EEA Agreement and other agreements applicable between the United Kingdom and the EEA EFTA States by virtue of the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union.

Doctoral candidates/ PhD candidates at INN are exempt from paying tuition fees for activities that are part of the PhD programme to which they are admitted. For activities outside the PhD programme, exemption from tuition fees may be considered if the faculty confirms that the education is relevant to the degree. 

Doctoral candidates must apply for exemption from tuition fees for study programmes outside their admitted PhD programme, and the application will be assessed by the faculty offering the activity. All doctoral candidates must pay the semester fee in accordance with INN requirements.

You must provide the following:

• Copy of your passport
• Information on the programme you have been admitted to, outside of your PhD programme.
• A small text on why you are interested in taking this programme, and how it would be relevant for your PhD programme.